Singapore's "Original Music" Download Website

[hellven]

Hi, i need some feedback on an idea for a music website. Do feel free to comment honestly and bluntly if necessary. I'm just helping to gather info from the community, so no need to paiseh ya? The more direct the feedback, the more its benefits.


The website will allow Original music to be put up as MP3's and serve as an alternative platform for exposure for local bands. Something like what we can currently do with Myspace, with the added option of downloading the song.


The difference between this site and similar others is this: The download is free for the first certain number of downloads, example 200. After that amount, every download fetches a price, say $0.50 per download for that song. As the number of downloads increase, the price increases. Thus this works by a system of demand and supply, the higher the demand, the more expensive.


This website also incorporates some elements of "stock appreciation". For the downloaders who downloaded a song that eventually became very popular, they are paid "dividends" in terms of website merchandise or other forms of discounts in a credit system. The more popular the song is downloaded, the more credits they get in return.


Thats the general idea of the site. The owners of this idea would like to find out if:

1. As a band, would you want to upload your MP3 to this site for exposure?

2. As a customer, would you visit this site to download free MP3 of original bands?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you like this idea?


Thanks for reading!

 

[shinobi]

i would only upload my band's songs if people could download them for free. it defeats the purpose of "exposure" if i set up barriers for people who want to listen to my music

free downloads? sure. but if money gets involved, i'm not paying a premium for the 'novelty' of local music. it's dollar per dollar against the big boys. it's less important if local music makes it big, than if QUALITY local music makes it big.

 

[someone]

Personally I am very reluctant to let people download songs for free.
I am all for streaming (its like playing on the radio), but if everyone expects to download local artist music for free how are we going to cover back any of the recording costs.

Also, I'm not sure why anyone would want to go to this site in the first place. Its kind of like what Nokia did with IAC but that never really caught on even with Nokia putting marketing $ behind it.

If the quality isn't there in sufficient quantity (i.e. regular new material to keep ppl coming back) then it really wont attract the visitors.

May as well just post a link on soft... will attract more attention that way

 

[Yatz August]

yeah!!!

tats a gd idea...
i prefer tat...
it give my band an exposure...

 

[XLayaR]

I would.....

-Put up only demos available for download(1/3 of song?)
-Full song stream but cannot download
-Must join member then can download full songs
-Only like 3 songs per album for download?

It's tough enough for musicians to make a living liao......then again, publicity has a price eh?

 

[AgingYouth]

Build the site and engine first. Then we'll see.

 

[dir]

http://thesixtyone.com is a pretty neat site for getting to know independent music and some songs can be purchased. have a look-see around the site, because I believe what they're trying to achieve and how they're going about it is excellent.

 

[Siouxsie Sioux]

I'm lovin it!!

:d:d:d

 

[THOA]

On the surface it looks like a good idea.

Then after that you go into the details:

1) How many downloads is the limit before it becomes chargeable?

2) Since a free song has been downloaded, what is stopping people from distributing the downloaded song to another for free as well?

3) Streaming? Myspace is good already what. Can let people download your song for free also, if you want.

4) Pay as you download? I think there are a couple of websites from yesteryears that started this. Never ever did catch on.

5) The idea of higher price by demand can backfire. If the production of the music cost higher than the download, and it end up not being popular, the artiste is still short changed. If the download proves costly as compared to purchasing a single or cd, might as well get a cd. In the end, will the priice of the download be able to cover back the expenses?

You also have to consider that, if you have free downloads to begin with, your initial horde of fans and listening audience would have already have the song and then it still gonna be distributed around. Where will your money come in from then? (refer to point 2).

The difference between this site and similar others is this...

Sorry bro, but I think you are defining the wrong "difference". You should be looking at the factor that keeps your idea interesting and truly unique: It is LOCAL. The other websites out there.. they are not Singapore.

Instead of focusing on how it will work, I suggest concentrating your uniqueness on it being all about local music. Possibly look into doing business with not just bands or artistes, but local recording and distributors as well. After that, then think about how it's gonna work

I do like the idea of the merchandising part though.

2 cents.

 

[slutgarden]

the price will increase the more you d/l ?. by how much and is there a certain period of time ?.

otherwise, you can still implement that idea and then reset the figure back to zero at the end of the year or at any valid period of time.

else, there will be a point of time you will be paying a bomb for a track.

 

[visa]

if you play in a band, you can upload songs for download from your myspace profile. then publicize it and you're good to go.